The manufacture of semiconductor lasers for wavelengths between 1.3 and 1.55 .mu.m using materials such as InGaAs/InGaAIAs/InAlAs on an InP substrate is disclosed in the reference by Y. Kawamura et al in Electronics Letters Vol. 20, No. 11, 1984, pages 459-460. In the disclosed structure, an indium phosphide layer and an InAlAs layer are grown as confinement layers on an indium phosphide substrate. A multi-quantum-well structure composed of a succession of InGaAs and InGaAlAs layers is located therebetween. This structure is grown with molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE).
A phosphorous-free, multi-quantum-well structure is disclosed in the reference by Y. Matsushima et al, Electronics Letters Vol. 23, No. 24, 1987, pages 1271-1273. As disclosed a layer sequence of alternating Ga.sub.0.47 In0.53As/Al.sub.0.48 In.sub.0.52 As is thereby grown with molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE).
A reference by J. I. Davies et al, Electronics Letters Vol. 24, No. 12, 1988, pages 732-733 discloses a structure having an active layer of AlGaInAs and confinement layers of InP. This structure is grown and fabricated by metal organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE).
A publication by K. Alavi et al, Applied Physics Letters 42, 1983, pages 254-256 discloses a structure wherein the active layer is GaAlInAs material and the confinement layers are of AlInAs. This structure is produced with MBE.
A publication by W. T. Tsang, in the Journal of Applied Physics 52, 1981, pages 3861-3864, discloses a structure wherein a layer sequence AlInAs/GaInAs/AlInAs/GaInAs is grown on an indium phosphide substrate. The production of this layer sequence is produced by MBE.
Also in a publication by W. T. Tsang et al, in Applied Physics Letters 42, 1981, pages 922-924, a structure is disclosed having an indium phosphide substrate and an active layer of GaAlInAs between indium phosphide confinement layers. This structure is also produced with MBE.
In the Japanese Journal of Applied Physics 27, L1731-L1733, 1988, an article by T. Miyazawa et al discloses a structure wherein a multi-quantum-well structure of InGaAs/InAlAs material was grown on an indium phosphide substrate. Here, too, MBE was utilized in the manufacturing process.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,430,740 issued to T.L. Nuyen discloses a semiconductor laser on InP wherein an active layer of (Ga.sub.x -Al.sub.1-x).sub.0.47 In.sub.0.53 As is grown between confinement layers of Ga.sub.z Al.sub.1-z As.sub.y Sb.sub.1-y on a substrate of InP.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,599,728 issued to K. Alavi et al discloses a semiconductor laser having a quantum well structure wherein active layers of Ga.sub.0.47 In.sub.0.53 As are interrupted by intermediate layers of Al.sub.0.48 In.sub.0.52 As and confinement layers of Al.sub.0.48 In.sub.0.52 As. GaInAs and GaAsSb are cited as further materials for the active layers and AlInAs, InP and AlAsSb are cited as further materials for the intermediate layers.